Migronomous self-driving delivery service in Switzerland test runs on Schindler Campus

Swiss supermarket Migros, Swiss startup LOXO, and Schindler are testing a delivery service called Migronomous.

A self-driving vehicle, powered by an electric motor, was developed in Switzerland and will bring groceries from a Migros store to the Schindler Campus in Ebikon. This is the first such delivery service to run on Swiss roads.

Migros and Schindler are testing the vehicle, called LOXO Alpha and built by LOXO, as part of a pilot project.

Schindler employees in Ebikon can place a Migros order online. Migros employees load the delivery vehicle with the ordered products before it automatically drives, at a maximum speed of 30 km/h, to the Schindler company premises 500 metres away.

Upon its arrival, Schindler employees can use a code to open the compartment with their order and remove their purchases. In the initial test phase, the vehicle will travel between the Migros store and the Schindler company premises once a day from Monday to Friday.

“We are very much interested in combining vertical mobility with innovative, automotive transport options. Connected transport solutions can make cities more liveable and sustainable as well as significantly contribute to decarbonisation,” says Christian Studer, Head of New Technologies at Schindler.

The LOXO Alpha travels emission free thanks to an electric motor and can transport up to 64 shopping bags. The vehicle will gradually become more and more independent until it is fully automated in the last project phase.

“Migros wanted to be the first retailer in Switzerland to play an active role in this future oriented project. A self-driving delivery service fits to our pioneering spirit,” says Rainer Deutschmann, Head of Safety and Traffic, Migros-Genossenschaftsbund.

“We can certainly imagine that the self-driving delivery service could be an addition to our existing transport fleet in the future.”